Urijah Faber looks for 'normal' break before gunning for another title shot

Urijah Faber looks for 'normal' break before gunning for another title shot

Former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber (30-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) remains winless after three tries for a UFC belt, but he’s not giving up the effort just yet.

Faber is still steaming after his recent TKO loss to current UFC bantamweight champ Renan Barao, and with referee Herb Dean waving off the fight while “The California Kid” was offering a thumbs up, Faber is having trouble accepting the loss.

“I haven’t watched the whole fight; I just watched the highlights, but the end of the fight for me is just, it was like, it’s so hard for a guy like me to accept a loss like that,” Faber told MMAjunkie Radio. “I wasn’t out. I had a lot of fight in me still. To have slow hammer punches on my hand in a title fight be the thing that ends the fight for me is rough.”

To be fair, Faber wasn’t having a great night against Barao. Despite posting one of the best years of any fighter in the sport in 2013, Faber ran into a red-hot Barao at UFC 169, and the champ tagged him several times early in the opening round. Faber insists he was alert as Barao delivered the finishing blows, and he did rise quickly to his feet to question Dean’s call immediately after the fight was waved off.

Faber said he would really appreciate an instant rematch but knows that’s probably not likely to happen.

Still, he’s not giving up on his aspirations of holding UFC gold.

“I’m not in a position to ask for an immediate rematch, I don’t think, just because I was in a dangerous situation and got caught with a good punch,” Faber said. “If they want to give me one, I’d love it, but I’m just going to get back in, win a fight or two, and make a case for another title shot.”

For now, Faber is enjoying a little time off. Still ranked at No. 2 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA bantamweight rankings, Faber remains a legitimate threat to anyone in the division. His latest run to the top included five fights in a little less than one year’s time, so a little break is now in order.

But Faber made it clear he’s not looking for an extended vacation. For the 34-year-old, staying busy is a way of life, and he’s let UFC President Dana White know he’s hoping to get back to the grind sooner rather than later.

“I don’t really need time off; I mean, I stay busy,” Faber said. “That’s like my thing. I don’t feel regular unless I’m really, really busy, and I’m always staying in shape. I talked to Dana. I would like to take a regular amount of time off, not jump right into another fight in a month like I have been doing. Maybe just a couple of months to let my body heal up.”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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